How I Built My Toddler’s Immune System

I’m going to share with you how I built my toddler’s immune system, but first, I need to tell you what led me on a mission to do so.

When I became pregnant, I thought I was prepared for all the germs that kids would bring with them. I was on a very consistent cleaning regimen to scrub away any germs that came into my house. Hand purifier was scattered throughout my home. And I had a VERY large stash of essential oils for anything that came my way. My husband and I had built up our immune systems and were rarely sick. I couldn’t tell you the last time I was at the doctor other than for OB/GYN appointments. I was SO ready for a healthy baby girl.

Little did I know, the first two years after my daughter was born would test me like I’ve never been tested before.  The first year we had our colicky evenings, a baby with tummy issues and it seemed like we were in the doctor’s office every month. At her 1 year well-child appointment, her health was questioned even more. She dropped off the weight charts causing concern by her Pediatrician. This led to extra appointments for weight checks, a whole conglomerate of blood tests and at 18 months we had her checked into the children’s hospital for an upper endoscopy to test for Celiac (not to mention we were in and out of the doctor again for illness and ear infections). Something was going on with this little girl’s body that I needed to get a handle on.

Trying to Find an Answer

Her results for Celiac came back negative. We were both relieved but still had a lot of unanswered questions. The doctor said the only thing he found was some slight inflammation in her esophagus. His suggestion was to put her on acid reflux meds and see if they would help. After  grappling with the doctor’s recommendation, I knew in my gut that putting her on acid reflux meds wasn’t the answer. After reading the long term effects of using acid reflux meds, we decided not to pursue them. Looking back I would have done this whole process differently if I could but it was just time to look forward. We were blessed to not find any major issues. I just had a little peanut who needed some additional help with maturing her digestive system and building her immune system. I was on a mission to do this.

Our Gold Mine

Being passionate about natural health, I knew what had worked well for my husband and I when it came to supporting our digestive and immune system. At first I assumed I could use the same tactics for my daughter. Believe me, that doesn’t always work–I found that out real quick! So it was a time of experimenting and seeing what helped and what didn’t. Eventually we landed on our gold mine and it has been AMAZING! As of today, we have not had her in a doctor’s office for over a year and a half (except for her well-child). And, to top it off, at her recent 3 year well-child appointment, she was in the 20th percentile in weight. DOUBLE-DIGITS! We haven’t seen this in her weight since she’s been born. Below is our current regimen with her. Feel free to use it as a starting point in finding what works for your kids. I do have to stress that this may not work with all kids–but don’t give up! You’ll find your gold mine too.

How I Built My Toddler’s Immune System

Daily Kid’s Probiotic

Not only is a probiotic good for digestive support, but good gut-health also helps your immune system. We use RenewLife Ultimate Flora Kids Probiotic. My daughter takes 1 chewable tablet before bed.

Daily Kid’s Multi-Vitamin

Our choice for a high-quality multi-vitamin is Young Living’s MightyVites. These things are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients and don’t have any artificial colors or preservatives. Since she is only 3, we give her 2 chewable tablets before bed.

Bedtime Essential Oils

Sleep is so important for little kiddos and their body systems. We’ve been consistently diffusing for a while now in her room before bed and she now sleeps really well. My daughter was a terrible napper and had very inconsistent nights during her first few years. Not so much anymore! We love both Dream Catcher and SleepyIze.

Interested in learning more about the products listed here? Check out the Essential Oils page for more details or place your order.